The new wave of UK R&B and Neo-soul
#23: R&B and Neo-Soul never died, instead, it came back in different forms.
I recently fell back in love with R&B, Soul, and Neo-Soul, but I've also seen how much it’s evolved over time. I've witnessed the rise of young and experimental artists releasing different takes from their favourite artists, creating something smooth and kind. R&B was never dead; instead, it changed. It took a different angle, which is different from what it used to be. Writing this today, I wanted to appreciate how far it has come, shedding light on the up-and-coming artists of the R&B/Neo-Soul UK scene. Similar to what I did with the starter guide to the UK underground rap scene, this scene is a lot quieter, with fewer chances of discovering artists.
The new wave of UK R&B faces challenges in gaining mainstream recognition. Still, we see that there is a sense of a strong online community celebrating and supporting the essence of the artists and the genre. There is something different that the UK offers when it comes to R&B/soul that the American counterparts come up with, new textures, warm melodies and intricate productions
Saasail on earth
Maya Richards, also known as Saasail on earth, an 18-year-old neo-soul artist hailing from North West London, has caught my attention, randomly coming up on my Spotify recommendations with her intimate and warm like production, instantly floating with how soft her vocals are. You can sense from how she sings that she creates such a spiritual vibe, being one with the mic and the instrumentals. Saasail makes music that she feels needs to be heard, using her music to heal others. That’s why she has talked about her spirituality, and her relationship with God is a key reason as to why she makes music. ‘I let my heart be the vessel of my music’
Her influences, Cleo Sol, Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu responsible for indirectly pushing her to start making music; she is on this journey of healing it seems particularly with the release of her debut project, Ambivalence, released on Valentine’s Day earlier this year is her only project so far,, but already gaining attraction and love from all over. Having dealt with mental health issues like anxiety, writing has allowed her to find a place of serenity and openness.
Demae
Another North West London, raised in Harlesden prodigy, Demae has come out with a vibrant and different twist on soul music. Having a Nigerian side through her mum, music was integral in life, and a lot of the traditional Igbo music influenced her sound today, from Lucious R&B to La Soul-reminiscent hip hop and intricate Jazz. She is an artist who negates any form of strict music categorisation. Always free and in a constant state of evolution, which started with her debut album Life Works Out…Usually with extraordinary features from Ego Ella May and Joe Armon Jones
Something cool I found out was that she released a rap mixtape ‘Maelib’ you can say in honour of icon producer, Madlib. Growing up, her dad was a huge Raphead, introducing her to A Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang, J Dilla and other artists. It was never released on the likes of Spotify and Apple Music, but it made so much sense that she released it on Soundcloud, which was very fitting for the mixtape. Her spin on Bubblerap, a fun and random project, still manages to have her personality coded in every song. Every instrumental you hear is all of her favourite beats from Madlib.
Tia Gordon
Singer Songwriter, Tia Gordon, from Kent, isn’t new when it comes to projecting her voice. From the age of 4, she has been singing, but more importantly, was gifted a guitar by her best friend during her teenage years. Since then, she has been writing and self-producing her own songs, secretly dropping them on Soundcloud in the hope of getting positive reactions (which she did), which allowed her to confidently share her voice online through an Instagram account she created in 2019. She has successfully built a loyal fan base online with consistently uploaded snippets. It wasn’t until 2022, Tia Gordon released her debut single ‘Call me’, acclaimed by different tastemakers in the UK scene like DJ Target and Abbie McCarthy
She has, from what I see, reviving the R&B scene in the UK, which has been evident, knowing Mahalia invited Tia to perform at the sold-out Christmas Edition of her ‘Mahalia Presents’ series at the Lafayette, being the biggest one yet. Just last year, she also released her debut EP, with love. x. A five-track project showing her writing as the most vulnerable yet, drawing from her personal experiences, she wore her heart on her sleeve, talking about love lost, love found, and everything else surrounding it.
As a fan, I am patiently waiting for that album, all of the singles and EP teasing us have prepared us for this moment, a full-length project that we can create new memories with, soak in, but also allows Tia Gordon to become a household name in the UK R&B scene.
Writing this, I had a lot more artists in mind, but with the 3 super dimensional artists that I mentioned, I spent a lot more time listening to their discography and noticed different elements that the scene is missing today. Which is something that I do want to mention, I feel like some artists, not saying it is a bad thing, are afraid to play around and experiment, probably because of the reception they might receive or afraid they are going to be boxed into a category that does not appeal to them. I want to say that, take that risk. Each artist mentioned above played around with their influences and different genres, all able to blend them into one beautiful, cohesive sound that is true to them. So I say, find your starting piece and see what it can grow into. Someone like me, who has never produced or written a song in their life, you might seem like I should stop talking, but it’s always interesting to find perspectives from different places.